ORFU reaffirms stadium backing

The Otago Rugby Football Union has responded to criticism it has fallen quiet on the Awatea St stadium, with chief executive Richard Reid saying the organisation is "right behind" the project.

Mr Reid said he expected no difficulty in signing an agreement with the Carisbrook Stadium Trust by late November under amended conditions put in place on Monday by the Dunedin City Council.

The council voted unanimously to place a late-November deadline for it to approve agreements between the trust and the ORFU for the sale and purchase of its assets, which include Carisbrook.

Councillor Dave Cull, who moved an amendment proposing the deadline, said it would not be prudent for the council to let the issue "dribble on into next year".

Cr Bill Acklin said the rugby union had been "very, very quiet".

"It is time for some sort of commitment from them."

Asked whether the rugby union was still behind the new stadium, Mr Reid said : "Hell, yeah."

Asked if it was possible for the ORFU to fit in with the November timeframe, he said : "Of course it is."

The union had to sign a commercial lease at the new stadium, something that was "well under way", and organise the disposal and sale of Carisbrook.

Asked what might happen under that scenario, Mr Reid said: "That's not for the paper at this stage.

"They are commercially sensitive negotiations. There's no problem there."

Trust chairman Malcolm Farry said on Monday evening it had always been his intention to have an agreement with the union completed by the end of the year.

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement